Non-digestible oligosaccharides for oral induction of tolerance against dietary proteins

ABSTRACT

Compositions and methods for providing infant nutrition with partially hydrolysed proteins and non-digestible oligosaccharides for use in induction of oral tolerance against native dietary proteins.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a 35 U.S.C. §371 National Phase conversion ofPCT/EP2011/002700, filed Jun. 1, 2011, which claims benefit ofInternational Application No. PCT/EP2010/003374, filed Jun. 4, 2010, thedisclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The PCTInternational Application was published in the English language.

FIELD

The invention relates to an enteral composition containing anon-digestible oligosaccharide and a partial protein hydrolysate, whichcan induce oral immunological tolerance to the native proteins in thediet, in particular to milk proteins.

BACKGROUND

During the common process of nutrition dietary proteins are presented tothe immune system via the gastro-intestinal tract without an immuneresponse to the ingested nutrients. This unresponsiveness is called oralimmune tolerance or oral tolerance. The induction of oral immunetolerance is especially relevant for infants, who after birth areexposed for the first time to dietary proteins and have to adapt tothis. If in infants oral immune tolerance is not established, foodallergy will occur. Persons suffering from food allergy require a dietin which the specific food protein is avoided.

For infants suffering from allergy to cow's milk protein infant formulaeare on the market comprising extensively hydrolysed proteins (extensiveprotein hydrolysate) or even merely free amino acids as nitrogen source.In these formulae no allergenic protein or peptides are present.

Infants born from parents of whom one or both suffers from an atopicdisease, or who have one or more siblings suffering from an atopicdisease, have a higher risk of becoming allergic to dietary proteins.

For this group, besides the preferred breast feeding, hypoallergenicformulae are on the market, comprising a partial protein hydrolysate(partially hydrolysed proteins). These partially hydrolysed proteinshave a decreased allergenicity. This approach has been demonstrated tobe efficient in order to prevent sensitization by native proteinspresent in the adapted formulae. Typically, the extent of hydrolysis ofproteins is less than those of extensively hydrolysed proteins forbabies already suffering from allergy. These formulations have theadvantage that they not only reduce the risk of developing an allergicresponse by preventing sensitization to the protein, but also induceorally an immunological tolerance to the intact protein. This has theadvantage that later on the native protein can be introduced in thediet, with a reduced risk on allergic reactions.

EP 1 557 096 discloses infant food with low-allergenic caseinhydrolysate and probiotic strains of lactic acid bacteria. For toleranceinduction a partial whey protein hydrolysate is preferred.

EP 2 044 851 discloses a nutritional composition with partiallyhydrolysed milk protein having a degree of hydrolysis between 15% and25% and 50 to 1000 ng of TGF-beta per 100 ml for the primary preventionof allergic reactions to dietary protein and the prevention ofdevelopment of atopic diseases in young mammals.

EP 0 629 350 discloses the use of non-allergenic whey proteinhydrolysates which are said to be capable of inducing cow's milk proteintolerance.

EP 0 827 697 discloses the use of whey, that has been hydrolysedenzymatically for the preparation of compositions that induce oraltolerance to cows' milk in susceptible mammals. The whey has a level ofimmunological detection of allergenic proteins>=100 times less than thatof unhydrolysed whey.

WO 00/42863 discloses a hypoallergenic composition for the induction ofprotein tolerance in at risk infants of protein allergy, comprising anon allergenic protein extensively hydrolysed basis and/or a free aminoacid basis, said composition comprising as the active ingredient atleast one tolerogenic peptide of the allergenic protein.

However, the hypoallergenic compositions of the prior art often providetheir effects just by avoiding the presence of potential allergensthereby providing only a secondary prevention effect and/or they requirethe presence of special ingredients such as probiotics or growthfactors.

Still there is a need for nutrition for subjects at risk of developingor suffering from food allergy with improved effects on immune toleranceinduction.

Thus, the technical problem underlying the present invention is toprovide compositions, methods and means for overcoming theabove-identified disadvantages, in particular an improved oraltolerance, in particular providing an improved primaryallergy-preventing effect, against dietary proteins in humans, inparticular humans at risk for developing a food allergy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present inventors found that the capacity of a partial milk proteinhydrolysate to induce oral immune tolerance was synergistically andsignificantly increased when concomitantly non-digestibleoligosaccharides were also administered via the diet. It was found thatmice, which were sensitized to intact whey protein, showed an acuteallergic skin response after an intradermal challenge with intact wheyprotein. This response was reduced after an intradermal challenge witheither extensively or partially hydrolysed whey protein. In case thesesensitized mice were pretreated by oral administration of partial wheyprotein hydrolysate or with intact whey protein prior to sensitisation asignificantly reduced acute skin response to intact intradermal wheyprotein was observed. This reduction of the response effect was notobserved when as a pretreatment extensive whey protein hydrolysate wasorally administered.

Surprisingly, it was observed that when during the pretreatment withpartial whey protein hydrolysate the mice were also pretreated withnon-digestible oligosaccharides, the acute skin response wassynergistically further reduced. The present invention, in particularthe use of the non-digestible oligosaccharides to potentiate the effectof the partial protein hydrolysate, could even achieve a completeabolishment of the acute skin response. This enhanced and thereforeimproved effect on induction of oral immune tolerance due to thepresence of the non-digestible oligosaccharides was not observed after apretreatment with a diet with non-digestible oligosaccharides(hereinafter also called NDO) alone or after a pretreatment withextensive whey protein hydrolysate and a diet comprising NDO. Therefore,the present invention provides a composition comprising a combination ofa partial protein hydrolysate, in particular a partial whey proteinhydrolysate, and non-digestible oligosaccharides, in particulargalacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides and/or uronic acidoligosaccharides, preferably for use in the enhanced induction oftolerance against dietary proteins, in particular against milk protein,more particular whey protein, preferably in humans. The presentcomposition is especially beneficial for use in infants, more preferablyin infants at risk of developing food allergy.

Further, according to the present invention specific sequences ofspecific peptides of the whey protein beta-lactoglobulin wereidentified, which are capable of inducing oral immune tolerance againstintact whey protein if administered as a pretreatment to mice sensitizedto intact whey protein. This effect was synergistically enhanced byconcomitant pretreatment with non-digestible oligosaccharides.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Thus, the present invention solves its technical problem in particularby providing the teaching to use a non-digestible oligosaccharide forenhancing the oral tolerance inducing effect of a partial proteinhydrolysate of the present invention against dietary proteins,preferably wherein the partial protein hydrolysate is characterised inthat it comprises at least 3 wt % of peptides with a size of 5 kDa orabove and at least 50 wt. % of peptides with a size below 5 kDa.

The technical problem is also solved by providing the teaching to use anon-digestible oligosaccharide for enhancing the primary allergypreventing effect of a partial protein hydrolysate of the presentinvention against dietary proteins, preferably wherein the partialprotein hydrolysate is characterised in that it comprises at least 3 wt.% of peptides with a molecular weight of 5 kDa or above and at least 50wt. % of peptides with a size below 5 kDa.

Preferably, the non-digestible oligosaccharides for enhancing the oraltolerance inducing effect of a partial protein hydrolysate or forenhancing the primary allergy-preventing effect of a partial proteinhydrolysate are contained together with the partial protein hydrolysatein an enteral composition of the present invention.

Thus, the present invention solves its technical problem also by theprovision of an enteral composition comprising at least onenon-digestible oligosaccharide and at least one partial proteinhydrolysate of the present invention for use in the, preferablyenhanced, induction of oral tolerance against dietary proteins,preferably the partial protein hydrolysate being characterized in thatit comprises at least 3 wt. % of peptides with a molecular weight of 5kDa or above and at least 50 wt. % of peptides with a size below 5 kDa.

The present invention solves its technical problem also by providing anenteral composition comprising at least one non-digestibleoligosaccharide and at least one partial protein hydrolysate for use inthe prevention of food allergy or inflammatory bowel disease, thepartial protein hydrolysate being characterized in that it comprises atleast 3 wt. % of peptides with a size of 5 kDa or above and at least 50wt. % of peptides with a size below 5 kDa.

The present invention solves its technical problem also by providing anenteral composition, comprising non-digestible oligosaccharides and atleast one partial protein hydrolysate, wherein the partial proteinhydrolysate is partial whey protein hydrolysate and wherein thenon-digestible oligosaccharide is a mixture of galacto-oligosaccharides,fructo-oligosaccharides and galacturonic acid oligosaccharides for usein the induction of oral tolerance against dietary proteins or for usein the prevention of food allergy or inflammatory bowel disease.

The present invention solves its technical problem in particular also byproviding an enteral composition, wherein the partial proteinhydrolysate is partial whey protein hydrolysate and wherein thenon-digestible oligosaccharide is a mixture of galacto-oligosaccharides,fructo-oligosaccharides and galacturonic acid oligosaccharides.

The present invention solves its underlying problem also by theprovision of a process for the preparation of an enteral compositionwith an, preferably enhanced, oral tolerance-inducing effect, wherein atleast one partial protein hydrolysate of the present invention,preferably a partial protein hydrolysate comprising at least 3 wt. % ofpeptides with a molecular weight of 5 kDa or above and at least 50 wt. %of peptides with a size below 5 kDa, and at least one non-digestibleoligosaccharide are mixed and the enteral composition with an,preferably enhanced, oral tolerance-inducing effect is obtained. Thepresent invention also relates to a process for the preparation of anenteral composition with an, preferably enhanced, oraltolerance-inducing effect, wherein at least one beta-lactoglobulinpeptide and at least one non-digestible oligosaccharide are mixed andthe enteral composition with an, preferably enhanced, oraltolerance-inducing effect is obtained.

In a furthermore preferred embodiment of the present invention a methodto feed a subject, in particular an infant, is provided, preferably amethod to treat, in particular prevent, allergy, preferably foodallergy, and/or atopic diseases, including atopic eczema and/or asthmaand/or rhinitis and/or dermatitis said method comprising administeringthe present enteral composition to a subject in need thereof, inparticular an infant, in particular an infant at risk of developing sucha disease.

Thus, the present invention is inter alia based on the surprising andadvantageous finding that a non-digestible oligosaccharide is useful forimproving, that means enhancing, the oral tolerance-inducing effect of apartial protein hydrolysate. In particular, the present inventionteaches to use a non-digestible oligosaccharide for improving, thatmeans enhancing, the oral tolerance-inducing effect of a partial proteinhydrolysate and thereby also improving, that means enhancing, theprimary allergy-preventing effect of a partial protein hydrolysate.

The present invention is in particular advantageous in so far as itprovides an oral tolerance and a primary allergy-preventing effect whichis at least as good and effective as using intact whey protein forinducing tolerance and preventing allergy whereas, however, the risk ofprovoking allergic responses is much less when using the partial proteinhydrolysate combined with the NDOs according to the present invention.

In the context of the present invention an enhancement is meant to be anincrease, in particular a significant increase, from a given measurablebasic value to a measurable value significantly above the basic value.

In the context of the present invention an enhancement of a partialprotein hydrolysate-induced oral tolerance is measured according toexample 1 of the present teaching in the given mouse model to determineoral tolerance to proteins. Accordingly, a state of a partial proteinhydrolysate-induced oral tolerance useful as a basic value is indicatedby an immediate type hyperresponsiveness (ITH) of 35 to 90% of anon-induced oral tolerance having an ITH value of 100%.

A significant enhancement of said induced oral tolerance ischaracterised by an immediate type hyperresponsiveness of 0 to 30%,preferably 0 to 25%, preferably 0 to 20%, preferably 0 to 10%, mostpreferably 0% of the non-induced oral tolerance having an ITH value of100%. Thus, an enhancement of an induced oral tolerance preferably meansat least 15%, at least 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, atleast 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90% and preferably 100%reduction of the basic value of an induced oral tolerance, indicated byan immediate type hyperresponsiveness measured in the mouse model testas given above.

The relative value for the ITH translates into the oral tolerance valueby the following calculation formula: 100 minus ITH=tolerance value.Thus, most preferably an enhancement of a partial proteinhydrolysate-induced oral tolerance leads to a full tolerance, that meansa 60 to 100%, preferably 90 to 100%, preferably 95 to 100%, mostpreferably 100% tolerance, against dietary proteins.

In the context of the present invention an enhancement of a primaryallergy preventing effect of a partial protein hydrolysate is measuredaccording to example 1 of the present teaching in the given mouse modelto determine oral tolerance to proteins. Accordingly, a state of aprimary allergy-preventing effect of a partial proteinhydrolysate-useful as a basic value is indicated by an immediate typehyperresponsiveness (ITH) of 35 to 90% of a fully developed allergystate having an ITH value of 100%. A significant enhancement of saidprimary allergy-preventing effect is characterised by an immediate typehyperresponsiveness of 0 to 30%, preferably 0 to 25%, preferably 0 to20%, preferably 0 to 10%, most preferably 0% of a fully developedallergy state having an ITH value of 100%. Thus, an enhancement of anprimary allergy-preventing effect preferably means at least 15%, atleast 20%, at least 30%, at least 40%, at least 50%, at least 60%, atleast 70%, at least 80%, at least 90% and preferably 100% reduction ofthe basic value of the partial protein hydrolysate caused primaryallergy-preventing effect indicated by immediate typehyperresponsiveness measured in the mouse model test as given above.Thus, most preferably an enhancement of a primary allergy-preventingeffect of a partial protein hydrolysate leads to a full primary allergyprevention, that means a 90 to 100%, preferably 95 to 100%, mostpreferably 100% tolerance, against dietary proteins.

In the context of the present invention a primary allergy prevention,which is based on a primary allergy-preventing effect, is a prophylactictreatment for the purpose of partially, preferably totally, preventingthe development and breaking out of symptoms of an allergy in a subjectat risk or even high risk. In the context of the present invention theprimary allergy-preventing effect is an immune system-modulating effect.The primary allergy-preventing effect is not including a secondaryallergy-preventing effect caused by the avoidance of allergising foodingredients from the diet.

In the context of the present invention the term “5 kDa or above” means“at least 5 kDa”. In the context of the present invention the term“below 5 kDa” means up to but excluding 5 kDa.

In the context of the present invention the term “oral tolerance”preferably means oral immune tolerance.

The present invention also relates in a preferred embodiment to anenteral composition comprising non-digestible oligosaccharides and atleast one partial protein hydrolysate, wherein the partial proteinhydrolysate is partial whey protein hydrolysate, preferably partialbeta-lactoglobulin hydrolysate, and wherein the non-digestibleoligosaccharide is a mixture of galacto-oligosaccharides,fructo-oligosaacharides and galacturonic acid oligosaccharides. Theenteral composition preferably is for use in the induction of oraltolerance against dietary proteins or the prevention of food allergy orinflammatory bowel disease or for both purposes.

In a preferred embodiment, the partial whey protein hydrolysatecontained in the enteral composition comprises at least one specificmammalian milk protein peptide, preferably a specific whey proteinpeptide, more preferably a specific beta-lactoglobulin peptide. Thepartial whey protein hydrolysate can be natural or synthetic, i.e. cancomprise natural or synthetic peptides. Preferably, the partial wheyprotein hydrolysate comprises at least one specific beta-lactoglobulinpeptide consisting of 12 to 38, more preferably 15 to 36 amino acids,even more preferably 18 to 34 amino acids, most preferably 18 aminoacids, of the beta-lactoglobulin amino acid sequence. The specificbeta-lactoglobulin peptides preferably have a size of below 5 kDa, inparticular of 0.1 to 4.9 kDa, preferably from 0.5 to 4.9, morepreferably of 2 to 4.9 kDa, most preferred of about 2.4 kDa. Withoutwishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that a lower size of thepeptides will result in less oral tolerance induction, because thetolerance inducing epitope then is presented in a less optimal way tothe T cell. A higher size on the other hand increases the risk onallergic reactions, since the chance on cross linking two IgE moleculeson a mast cell increases with increasing size.

The at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide preferably comprises asequence, in particular an amino acid sequence, selected from the groupconsisting of SEQ ID NO 1, SEQ ID NO 2, SEQ ID NO 3 and SEQ ID NO 4.Most preferred, the enteral composition comprises a mixture comprisingtwo, three or preferably four peptides comprising the SEQ ID NOs 1 to 4.Each of these peptides can preferably be substituted at its C-terminus,its N-terminus or both independently each with 1 to 10 amino acids,preferably 1 to 8 amino acids, more preferably 1 to 5 amino acids, whichcan be any amino acids. The specific beta-lactoglobulin peptidepreferably has a molecular weight of below 5 kDa, in particular from 0.1to 4.9 kDa, preferably from 0.5 to 4.9, more preferably of 2 to 4.9 kDa,most preferred of about 2.4 kDa.

In another preferred embodiment, the partial whey protein hydrolysateused in the present invention consists of the above-identified specificbeta-lactoglobulin peptides.

Thus, the present invention also relates in a preferred embodiment to anenteral composition comprising non-digestible oligosaccharides, whereinthe non-digestible oligosaccharide is a mixture ofgalacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides and galacturonic acidoligosaccharides and at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide comprisinga sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO 3 and SEQ ID NO 4, wherein the peptide preferably has amolecular weight of below 5 kDa for use in the prevention of foodallergy or inflammatory bowel disease. Further, the present inventionalso relates in a preferred embodiment to an enteral compositioncomprising non-digestible oligosaccharides, wherein the non-digestibleoligosaccharide is a mixture of galacto-oligosaccharides,fructo-oligosaccharides and galacturonic acid oligosaccharides and atleast one beta-lactoglobulin peptide comprising a sequence selected fromthe group consisting of SEQ ID NO 1, SEQ ID NO 2, SEQ ID NO 3 and SEQ IDNO 4, wherein the peptide preferably has a molecular weight of below 5kDa for use in the induction of oral tolerance against dietary proteins.

Surprisingly, it was found that mice, which were sensitized to intactwhey protein, showed a significantly reduced acute skin response tointact intradermal whey protein when as a pretreatment a mixture of thepeptides with the SEQ ID NOs 1 to 4 was administered. It was furtherobserved that when during the pretreatment with the peptide mixture themice were also pretreated with non-digestible oligosaccharides, theacute skin response was synergistically further reduced.

Preferably, the at least one specific peptide is present in the enteralcomposition in a concentration of at least 100 mg, more preferably atleast 120 mg, in particular at least 150 mg, each per 100 ml.

Partial protein hydrolysate of the present invention

The present composition comprises partial protein hydrolysate,hereinafter also called “partially hydrolysed protein”. Preferably, thepresent composition does not comprise intact, non-hydrolysed protein.Intact, non-hydrolysed protein has a too high allergenicity and maydisadvantageously evoke an allergic reaction. The present compositionmay in a preferred embodiment further, besides partial proteinhydrolysate, comprise extensively hydrolysed protein, also calledextensive protein hydrolysate, and/or free amino acids. Extensivelyhydrolysed protein and/or free amino acids do not evoke an allergicreaction, but also do not have oral tolerance inducing properties.

Preferably, partial protein hydrolysate is derived from mammalian milk,more preferably cow's milk. Human milk protein is preferably excludedfrom the present invention. Preferably, the partial protein hydrolysatecomprises or is partial mammalian milk protein hydrolysate. Morepreferably, the partial protein hydrolysate comprises or is partial wheyprotein hydrolysate. More preferably, the partial protein hydrolysatecomprises or is partial beta-lactoglobulin hydrolysate and/or partialalpha-lactalbumin hydrolysate. In another embodiment of the presentinvention, the partial protein hydrolysate comprises or is partial pea,soy and/or rice protein hydrolysate. More preferably, the partialprotein hydrolysate comprises or is partial casein hydrolysate.

The protein to be partially hydrolysed to obtain the partial proteinhydrolysate of the present invention may be any composition containing aprotein, preferably a milk protein, and is in particular a solution ordispersion, preferably of milk proteins. Preferably, the protein to bepartially hydrolysed is whey protein, acid whey protein, sweet wheyprotein, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, demineralizedwhey powder or caseinates.

The proteolytic enzymes used for the partial hydrolysis may be forexample, from animal or vegetable origins (pepsin, chymotrypsin,trypsin, intestinal mucosa extract, pancreatic extracts, chymosin,papain, bromelain, ficin), bacterial or fungi origins (serine andmetalloproteases from Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis,Aspergillus orysae, Aspergillus wentii and acidic proteases fromAspergillus orizae, Aspergillus wentii, Mucor miehei, Mucor pusillus,Endothia parasitica) or a combination of these.

During hydrolysis, the concentration of the protein in solution or insuspension is preferably around 5-20% by weight (wt %) and could bepasteurised before introducing proteases. The ratio enzyme/protein maybe 0.1-10% weight/weight and preferably of about 0.25 to 4%.

Hydrolysis may be conducted at a temperature of about 35° C. to 65° C.,during 30 minutes to 10 hours, preferably 30 min to 4 hours at pH valueswithin the range 2.5 to 11, preferably 4.5, to 7.0, 8.0, and 8.5. Ifdesired the pH of the solution can be adjusted and regulated with citricacid, food grade HCl or NaOH, NH₄OH, KOH, Ca(OH)₂ for instance at aconcentration of 2N pure or in blend.

The enzymatic process of hydrolysis may be stopped by fast cooling.

Then, the protein hydrolysate may be subjected to a heat treatment ofabout 0.1 to 10 min at a temperature of about 70 to 110° C. toinactivate residual enzymes, i.e. proteases.

The protein hydrolysate solution thus obtained can be clarified bycentrifugation or filtration to remove insoluble and intact proteinsrespectively, and a clear solution is recovered. It is possible to useat industrial scale different type of membranes (spiral, tubular, flat,allow fibbers) made with different materials (minerals, polysulfone).Depending on the type of enzyme, the hydrolysis conditions and the typeof filtration, e.g. the membranes used, the desired peptide sizedistribution of the partial protein hydrolysate is obtained at thisstep.

The recovered clear hydrolysate solution can, if desired, beconcentrated by evaporation to a dry solid content of for instance10-50% for a subsequent treatment or spray dried.

The present composition preferably contains a partial proteinhydrolysate with a degree of hydrolysis of the protein of 5 to 25%, morepreferably of 7.5 to 21%, most preferably of 10 to 20%. The degree ofhydrolysis is defined as the percentage of peptide bonds which have beenbroken down by enzymatic hydrolysis, with 100% being the total potentialpeptide bonds present. Proteins with the above-mentioned degree ofhydrolysis provides sufficient peptides with a chain length of 2 to 30.

In the following, wt % values (relative amount) of peptides are based ondry weight of peptides in relation to dry weight of total partialprotein hydrolysate, if not otherwise indicated.

The peptide size and molecular weight distribution can be determined byroutine methods known to the skilled person such as HPLC or sizeexclusion chromatography (SEC), in particular high performance sizeexclusion chromatography. A suitable method is disclosed inGonzález-Tello et al, 1994, Enzymatic hydrolysis of whey proteins II.Molecular weight range. Biotech. Bioeng, 44, 529-532.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the partial proteinhydrolysate is characterised in that it comprises at least 3 wt % ofpeptides with a size of 5 kDa or above, preferably at least 3.5 wt % ofpeptides with a size of 5 kDa or above, preferably at least 4 wt %, morepreferably at least 4.5 wt % of peptides with a size of 5 kDa or above.The partial protein hydrolysate of the present invention is furthercharacterised in that at least 50 wt %, preferably at least 55 wt %,preferably at least 60 wt %, preferably at least 70 wt % of peptideshave a size below 5 kDa.

More preferably, the partial protein hydrolysate comprises at least 0.5wt %, preferably at least 1 wt. %, preferably at least 1.5 wt % and mostpreferably at least 2 wt % of peptides with a size above 20 kDa. Morepreferably, the partial protein hydrolysate comprises at least 0.5 wt %,preferably at least 1 wt %, preferably at least 1.5 wt %, preferably atleast 2 wt % to at most 3.5 wt %, preferably at most 3.0 wt % peptideswith a size above 20 kDa.

In a furthermore preferred embodiment, the partial protein hydrolysatecomprises at least 5 wt %, preferably 5 to 10 wt %, preferably 6 to 10wt % of peptides with a size of at least 3 kDa.

Preferably, the partial protein hydrolysate of the present invention ischaracterised by a ratio of the relative amount of peptides with a sizefrom 2 to <5 kDa to the relative amount of peptides with a size of atleast 5 kDa of (5 to 1):1, preferably (4 to 1):1, preferably (3 to 1):1,preferably (2 to 1):1, preferably 1:1.

In a furthermore preferred embodiment of the present invention thepartial protein hydrolysate comprises at least 0.5 wt %, preferably atleast 0.6 wt %, in particular 0.5 to 3.0 wt %, preferably 0.5 to 2.0 wt%, preferably 0.5 to 1.0 wt % of peptides with a size of 10 to 20 kDa.

Preferably, the partial protein hydrolysate of the present invention ischaracterised by a ratio of the relative amount of peptides with a sizefrom 5 to 10 kDa to the relative amount of peptides with a size of morethan 20 kDa of (5 to 1):(1 to 5), preferably (3 to 1):(1 to 3), morepreferably (2 to 1):(1 to 2), in particular 1:1.

In a furthermore preferred embodiment the partial protein hydrolysate ofthe present invention is particularly characterised by a molecular sizedistribution of its peptides, wherein the relative weight amount ofpeptides with a size of above 20 kDa is higher, in particular at leasttwo times higher, than the relative amount of peptides with a size of 10to 20 kDa. Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention thepartial protein hydrolysate is characterised by a ratio of the relativeamount of peptides with a size from 10 to 20 kDa to the relative amountof peptides with a size above 20 kDa of 1:(1.1 to 3), preferably 1:(1.1to 2.5), preferably 1:(1.5 to 2).

In a furthermore preferred embodiment of the present invention thepartial protein hydrolysate of the present invention is characterised inthat the relative amount of peptides with a size from 10 to 20 kDa islower than the relative amount of peptides with a size of more than 20kDa and lower than the relative amount of peptides with a size from 5 to10 kDa. Thus, in a particularly preferred embodiment the partial proteinhydrolysate is characterised by a special distribution of the peptides,in particular of the peptides with a size of at least 5 kDa, inparticular by a distribution, wherein both the amounts of peptides witha size of above 20 kDa and of peptides with a size from 5 to 10 kDa ishigher than the relative amount of peptides with a size from 10 to 20kDa, and wherein preferably at least 50 wt %, most preferably at least60 wt % of peptides, have a size below 5 kDa.

In a preferred embodiment the partial protein hydrolysate is beingcharacterised in that the hydrolysate comprises peptides with thefollowing size distribution: 60 to 90 wt % with a size<1 kDa, 5 to 20 wt% of peptides with a size of 1 to <2 kDa, 2 to 15 wt % of peptides witha size of 2 to <5 kDa, 0.6 to 3 wt % of peptides with a size of 5 to <10kDa, 0.5 to 2 wt % of peptides with a size 10 to 20 kDa and 1 to 3 wt %of peptides with a size>20 kDa.

In a preferred embodiment the partial protein hydrolysate is beingcharacterised in that the hydrolysate comprises peptides with thefollowing size distribution: 85 to 90 wt % peptides with a size<1 kDa, 6to 10 wt % of peptides with a size 1 to <2 kDa, 2 to 6 wt % of peptideswith a size 2 to <5 kDa, 0.6 to 3 wt % of peptides with a size 5 to <10kDa, 0.5 to 2 wt % of peptides with a size 10 to 20 kDa and 1 to 3 wt %of peptides with a size>20 kDa.

In a preferred embodiment the partial protein hydrolysate is beingcharacterised in that the hydrolysate comprises peptides with thefollowing size distribution: 85 wt. %<1 kD, 8 wt. % 1 to <2 kDa, 4 wt. %2 to <5 kDa, 1 wt. % 5 to <10 kDa, 0.6 wt. % 10 to 20 kDa and 1.4 wt.%>20 kDa.

In a further preferred embodiment the partial protein hydrolysateaccording to the present invention is partial whey protein hydrolysate,more preferably partial beta-lactoglobulin hydrolysate. The partial wheyprotein hydrolysate can comprise or consist of natural peptides asdescribed above. Furthermore, the partial protein hydrolysate cancomprise or consist of specific and/or synthetic peptides. Preferably,the peptides are specific peptides from a mammalian milk protein,preferably from whey protein, most preferred from beta-lactoglobulin.

The specific beta-lactoglobulin peptides preferably have a molecularweight of below 5 kDa, in particular from 0.1 to 4.9 kDa, preferablyfrom 0.5 to 4.9, more preferably of 2 to 4.9 kDa, most preferred ofabout 2.4 kDa. Preferably, the specific beta-lactoglobulin peptideconsists of 12 to 38, more preferably 15 to 36 amino acids, even morepreferably 18 to 34 amino acids, most preferably 18 amino acids, of thebeta-lactoglobulin amino acid sequence. In a particularly preferredembodiment, the specific beta-lactoglobulin peptide comprises a sequenceselected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 1, SEQ ID NO 2, SEQ IDNO 3 and SEQ ID NO 4. Each of these peptides can be substituted at itsC—, its N-terminus or both independently each with 1 to 10 amino acids,preferably 1 to 8 amino acids, more preferably 1 to 5 amino acids, whichcan be any amino acids. The specific beta-lactoglobulin peptidepreferably has a molecular weight of below 5 kDa, in particular from 0.1to 4.9 kDa, preferably from 0.5 to 4.9, more preferably of 2 to 4.9 kDa,most preferred of about 2.4 kDa.

However, it is also foreseen in a further embodiment of the presentinvention that the specific beta-lactoglobulin peptides are not part ofa partial whey protein hydrolysate, but in particular are the onlyprotein source used or they are used together with components other thana partial whey protein hydrolysate such as free amino acids or anextensively hydrolysed protein. Typically, extensive proteinhydrolysates have a free amino acid content of above 10 g per 100 gprotein. Preferably, the term protein as used here includes peptides andfree amino acids.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the present enteralcomposition preferably comprises at least 7 wt %, more preferably atleast 8 wt %, preferably at least 9 wt %, preferably 7 to 40 wt %, morepreferably 7 to 20 wt % and particularly preferred 7 to 15 wt % ofpartial protein hydrolysate based on dry weight of the totalcomposition.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the present enteralcomposition preferably comprises at most 40 wt %, preferably at most 20wt % and most preferably at most 15 wt %, preferably 8 to 15 wt %,preferably 8 to 20 wt %, preferably 8 to 40 wt % or preferably 9 to 15wt %, preferably 9 to 20 wt % or 9 to 40 wt % of partial proteinhydrolysate based on dry weight of the total composition.

The partial protein hydrolysate of the present invention may becharacterised by at least one of the above-described features or by thecumulative presence of most or all of the above-identified features.

Extensively hydrolysed protein in the present invention relates toprotein which has been hydrolysed and has less than 3 wt % of peptideswith a size above 5 kDa. Typically, extensively hydrolysed protein hasbeen obtained by protease hydrolysis followed by an ultrafiltration stepwith by filtrating over a membrane with a cut off of 5 or 3 kDa.

Suitable sources and methods to obtain partial protein hydrolysates aredisclosed in example 1, and in WO0141581 p 13 line 13 to p 16, line 1.

In the context of the present invention all relative amounts given inpercentage (%) of an indicated overall composition add up to 100% of theindicated overall composition.

In the context of the present invention the wordings “to comprise” and“to contain” and their conjugations are used in one preferred embodimentin their non-limiting sense to mean that items following the wording areincluded, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. In thecontext of the present invention the wording “to comprise” or “tocontain” and their conjugations are used in another preferred embodimentin its limiting sense to mean that items following the wordings areincluded and items not specifically mentioned are excluded therebyequalling the meaning of the wording “to consist” and its conjugations.

Reference to an element of the present invention, particularlycomposition or method, by the indefinite article “a” or “an” does notexclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present,unless the context clearly requires that there be one and only one ofthe elements. The indefinite article “a” or “an” thus usually means “atleast one”.

Non-digestible oligosaccharides of the present invention

The present composition comprises non-digestible oligosaccharides.Advantageously and most preferred, the non-digestible oligosaccharide iswater-soluble (according to the method disclosed in L. Prosky et al, J.Assoc. Anal. Chem. 71: 1017-1023, 1988) and is preferably anoligosaccharide with a degree of polymerisation (DP) of 2 to 200. Theaverage DP of the non-digestible oligosaccharide is preferably below200, more preferably below 100, even more preferably below 60, mostpreferably below 40. The non-digestible oligosaccharide is not digestedin the intestine by the action of digestive enzymes present in the humanupper digestive tract (small intestine and stomach). The non-digestibleoligosaccharide is fermented by the human intestinal microbiota. Forexample, glucose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, lactose, maltose and themaltodextrins are considered digestible. The oligosaccharide rawmaterials may comprise monosaccharides such as glucose, fructose,fucose, galactose, rhamnose, xylose, glucuronic acid, GalNac etc., butthese are not part of the oligosaccharides as in the present invention.

The non-digestible oligosaccharide included in the compositions andmethods according to the present invention preferably includes a mixtureof non-digestible oligosaccharides. The non-digestible oligosaccharideis preferably selected from the group consisting offructo-oligosaccharide, such as inulin, non-digestible dextrin,galactooligosaccharide, such as transgalacto-oligosaccharide,xylo-oligosaccharide, arabino-oligosaccharide,arabinogalacto-oligosaccharide, gluco-oligosaccharide, such asgentio-oligosaccharide and cyclodextrin, glucomanno-oligosaccharide,galactomanno-oligosaccharide, mannan-oligosaccharide,chito-oligosaccharide, uronic acid oligosaccharide,sialyloligosaccharide, such as 3-SL, 6-SL, LSTa,b,c, DSLNT, S-LNH,DS-LNH, and fuco-oligosaccharide, such as (un)sulphated fucoidan OS,2-FL, 3-FL, LNFP I, II, III, V, LNnFPI, LNDH, and mixtures thereof, morepreferably fructo-oligosaccharide, such as inulin,galacto-oligosaccharide, such as transgalacto-oligosaccharide, which isβ linked, uronic acid oligosaccharide and fuco-oligosaccharide andmixtures thereof, even more preferably transgalacto-oligosaccharide,inulin and/or uronic acid oligosaccharides, most preferablytransgalacto-oligosaccharide. When the non-digestible oligosaccharide isa mixture, the averages of the respective parameters are used fordefining the present invention.

The present invention preferably provides a composition with twodifferent non-digestible oligosaccharides, i.e. non-digestibleoligosaccharide A and non-digestible oligosaccharide B. Non-digestibleoligosaccharide A and non-digestible oligosaccharide B preferably have adifferent type of glycosidic linkage, a different degree ofpolymerisation and/or a different monosaccharide composition.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, thepercentage of a particular monosaccharide in non-digestibleoligosaccharide A is at least 40 number % higher than the percentage ofthe same monosaccharide in non-digestible oligosaccharide B, preferablyat least 50%, more preferably at least 75%, even more preferably atleast 90%. The percentage of a monosaccharide in the non-digestibleoligosaccharide can be simply calculated by dividing the number of therespective monosaccharide units, e.g. glucose, in the non-digestibleoligosaccharide by the total number of the monosaccharide units in thatnon-digestible oligosaccharide and multiply it by 100. When thenon-digestible oligosaccharide is a non-digestible oligosaccharidemixture, the contribution of each individual monosaccharide unit in thenon-digestible oligosaccharide mixture must be taken into account. Thepercentage of a monosaccharide in a non-digestible oligosaccharidemixture can simply be determined by completely hydrolysing the mixtureand determining the number percentage for each monosaccharide.Preferably, non-digestible oligosaccharide A contains at least 40 number% galactose, more preferably at least 67% galactose, more preferably atleast 75% galactose. Preferably, non-digestible oligosaccharide Bcontains at least 30 number % fructose, more preferably at least 67%fructose, even more preferably at least 80% fructose.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, theaverage DP of non-digestible oligosaccharide A is at least 5monosaccharide units lower than the average DP of non-digestibleoligosaccharide B, preferably at least 10, even more preferably at least15. Preferably, non-digestible oligosaccharide A has an average DP of2-10, more preferably 3-5. Preferably non-digestible oligosaccharide Bhas an average DP below 200, more preferably 11-60, even more preferably20-30. Including a non-digestible oligosaccharide with an increaseddegree of polymerisation may be preferred. The non-digestibleoligosaccharide A and B with a different DP may have the same ordifferent monosaccharide composition. Preferably, non-digestibleoligosaccharide A and B have a different monosaccharide composition anda different DP.

Preferably, at least 80 wt. %, more preferably at least 95 wt. %, mostpreferably at least 98 wt. % of the cumulative weight of non-digestibleoligosaccharide A and B has a DP below 60, more preferably below 40,most preferably below 20. The lower DP advantageously reduces viscosityand increases fermentability of the non-digestible oligosaccharides.Preferably at least 50 wt. %, preferably at least 75 wt. % of thecumulative weight of non-digestible oligosaccharides A and B arenon-digestible oligosaccharides with a DP of 2-8. In a further preferredembodiment of the present invention the percentage of at least oneglycosidic linkage of non-digestible oligosaccharide A based on totalglycosidic linkages of non-digestible oligosaccharide A is at least 40%higher or lower than the percentage of the same glycosidic linkage inoligosaccharide B, preferably at least 50%, even more preferably atleast 75%. The term “glycosidic linkage” as used in the presentinvention refers to a C—O—C linkage formed between the rings of twocyclic monosaccharides by the elimination of water. An increaseddiversity in glycosidic linkages is preferred. Glycosidic linkagesdiffer in that they covalently bind carbon atoms in the monosaccharideunits at differently numbered positions, and/or that they form αor βbonds. Examples of different glycosidic linkages occurring innon-digestible saccharides are β(1,3), α(1,4), β(2,1), α(1,2), andβ(1,4) linkages. Preferably the glycosidic linkages in non-digestibleoligosaccharide A comprises at least 40% β(1,4) and/or β(1,6) glycosidiclinkages, more preferably at least 75%. The glycosidic linkages innon-digestible oligosaccharide B preferably comprise at least 40% β(2,1)glycosidic linkages, more preferably at least 75%. Preferably,non-digestible oligosaccharide A and B differ in monosaccharide unitcomposition and in type of glycosidic linkage. Preferably,non-digestible oligosaccharide A and B differ in type of glycosidiclinkage and DP. Most preferably, non-digestible oligosaccharide A and Bdiffer in type of glycosidic linkage, monosaccharide composition and DP.

Preferably, at least 60%, more preferably at least 75% even morepreferably 90%, most preferably 98% of the total monosaccharide units ofthe non-digestible oligosaccharide, in particular non-digestibleoligosaccharide A and B, are monosaccharides selected from the groupconsisting of galactose (gal), fructose (fru) and glucose (glu)monosaccharides.

Non-digestible oligosaccharide A is preferably an oligosaccharideselected from the group consisting of β-galacto-oligosaccharide,α-galacto-oligosaccharide, and galactan. According to a more preferredembodiment non-digestible oligosaccharide A isβ-galacto-oligosaccharide. β-galacto-oligosaccharide is also sometimesreferred to as transgalacto-oligosaccharide. Preferably non-digestibleoligosaccharide A comprises galacto-oligosaccharides with β(1,4), β(1,3)and/or β(1,6) glycosidic bonds and a terminal glucose.Transgalacto-oligosaccharide is for example available under the tradename Vivinal®GOS (Borculo Domo Ingredients, Zwolle, Netherlands),Bi2muno (Clasado), Cup-oligo (Nissin Sugar) and Oligomate55 (Yakult).

Non-digestible oligosaccharide B is preferably fructo-oligosaccharide. Afructo-oligosaccharide may in other context have names likefructopolysaccharides, oligofructose, polyfructose, polyfructan, inulin,levan and fructan and may refer to oligosaccharides comprising β-linkedfructose units, which are preferably linked by β(2,1) and/or β(2,6)glycosidic linkages, and a preferable DP between 2 and 200. Preferably,the fructo-oligosaccharide contains a terminal β(2,1) glycosidic linkedglucose. Preferably, the fructo-oligosaccharide contains at least 7β-linked fructose units. In a further preferred embodiment inulin isused as non-digestible oligosaccharide B. Inulin is a type offructo-oligosaccharide wherein at least 75% of the glycosidic linkagesare β(2,1) linkages. Typically, inulin has an average chain lengthbetween 8 and 60 monosaccharide units. A suitable fructooligosaccharidefor use in the compositions of the present invention is commerciallyavailable under the trade name Raftiline®HP (Orafti). Other suitablesources are raftilose (Orafti), fibrulose and fibruline (Cosucra) andFrutafit and frutalose (Sensus).

Most preferred is transgalacto-oligosaccharide with an average DP below10, preferably below 6 as non-digestible oligosaccharide A and afructo-oligosaccharide with an average DP above 7, preferably above 11,even more preferably above 20, as non-digestible oligosaccharide B.

If the present enteral composition comprises non-digestibleoligosaccharide A and B, the weight ratio non-digestible oligosaccharideA to non-digestible oligosaccharide B is preferably from 1/99 to 99/1,more preferably from 1/19 to 19/1, even more preferably from 1 to 19/1.This weight ratio is particularly advantageous when non-digestibleoligosaccharide A has a low DP and non-digestible oligosaccharide B hasa relatively high DP. Preferably oligosaccharide A is atransgalacto-oligosaccharide and oligosaccharide B is afructo-oligosaccharide

Thus, according to one embodiment of the present invention thecomposition comprises the non-digestible oligosaccharides A and B,wherein the non-digestible oligosaccharides A and B differ either:

-   i) in the percentage of at least one monosaccharide of    oligosaccharide A based on total monosaccharide units of    oligosaccharide A, the monosaccharide being at least 40 number %    higher that the percentage of the same monosaccharide in    oligosaccharide B; and/or-   ii) in the percentage of at least one glycosidic linkage of    oligosaccharide A based on total glycosidic linkages of    oligosaccharide A, the glycosidic linkage being at least 40% higher    than the percentage of the same glycosidic linkage in    oligosaccharide B; and/or-   iii) in the degree of polymerisation of oligosaccharide A, degree of    polymerisation of oligosaccharide A being at least 5 monosaccharide    units lower than the degree of polymerisation of oligosaccharide B.

In a more preferred embodiment the present composition further comprisesa non-digestible oligosaccharide C. The non-digestible oligosaccharide Ccomprises uronic acid oligosaccharides. The term uronic acidoligosaccharide as used in the present invention refers to anoligosaccharide wherein at least 50 number % of the monosaccharide unitspresent in the oligosaccharide is one selected from the group consistingof guluronic acid, mannuronic acid, galacturonic acid, iduronic acid,riburonic acid and glucuronic acid. In a preferred embodiment the uronicacid oligosaccharide comprises at least 50 number % galacturonic acidbased on total uronic acid units in the uronic acid oligosaccharide. Theuronic acid oligosaccharides used in the invention are preferablyprepared from degradation of pectin, pectate, alginate, chondroitine,hyaluronic acids, heparine, heparane, bacterial carbohydrates, and/orsialoglycans, more preferably of pectin and/or alginate, even morepreferably of pectin, most preferably polygalacturonic acid. Preferablythe degraded pectin is prepared by hydrolysis and/or beta-elimination offruit and/or vegetable pectins, more preferably apple, citrus and/orsugar beet pectin, even more preferably apple, citrus and/or sugar beetpectin degraded by at least one lyase. Preferably, the non-digestibleoligosaccharide is galacturonic acid oligosaccharide.

Preferably, the present composition comprises between 25 and 100 wt. %,more preferably between 50 and 100 wt. % uronic acid oligosaccharidewith a DP of 2 to 250 based on total weight of uronic acidoligosaccharide in the composition, more preferably a DP of 2 to 100,even more preferably a DP of 2 to 50, most preferably a DP of 2 to 20based on total weight of uronic acid oligosaccharide in the composition.

In a preferred embodiment, at least one of the terminal hexuronic acidunits of the uronic acid oligosaccharide has a double bond. The doublebond effectively protects against attachment of pathogenic bacteria tointestinal epithelial cells. This is advantageous for infants.Preferably, one of the terminal hexuronic acid units comprises the C4-C5double bond. The double bond at terminal hexuronic acid unit can forexample be obtained by enzymatic hydrolysis of pectin with lyase.

The uronic acid oligosaccharide can be derivatised. The uronic acidoligosaccharide may be methoxylated and/or amidated. In one embodimentthe uronic acid oligosaccharides are characterized by a degree ofmethoxylation above 20%, preferably above 50% even more preferably above70%. As used herein, “degree of methoxylation” (also referred to as DEor “degree of esterification”) is intended to mean the extent to whichfree carboxylic acid groups contained in the uronic acid oligosaccharidehave been esterified, e.g. by methylation.

Preferably, the present enteral composition comprises the non-digestibleoligosaccharides transgalacto-oligosaccharide, fructooligosaccharide anda pectin degradation product.

The weight ratiotransgalacto-oligosaccharide:fructo-oligosaccharide:pectin degradationproduct is preferably (20 to 2): 1: (1 to 3), more preferably (12 to 7):1: (1 to 2).

Preferably, the present invention relates to an enteral composition,wherein the non-digestible oligosaccharide is selected from the groupconsisting of fructo-oligosaccharide, galacto-oligosaccharide and uronicacid oligosaccharide, wherein the uronic acid oligosaccharide ispreferably galacturonic acid oligosaccharide.

The present enteral composition preferably comprises 0.05 to 20 wt. %total non-digestible oligosaccharide, more preferably 0.5 to 15 wt. %,even more preferably 1 to 10 wt. %, most preferably 2.0 to 10 wt. %,based on dry weight of the present composition.

Based on 100 ml the present enteral composition preferably comprises0.01 to 2.5 wt. % total non-digestible oligosaccharide, more preferably0.05 to 1.5 wt. %, even more preferably 0.25 to 1.5 wt. %, based on 100ml of the present composition.

Enteral Composition

The present invention relates to non-digestible oligosaccharides for usein the enhancement of a partial protein hydrolysate-induced oraltolerance against dietary proteins, the partial protein hydrolysatebeing characterised in that it comprises at least 3 wt % of peptideswith a size of 5 kDa or above and at least 50 wt. % of peptides with asize below 5 kDa, preferably in an enteral composition of the presentinvention.

The present invention relates to non-digestible oligosaccharides for usein the enhancement of a primary allergy preventing effect of a partialprotein hydrolysate against dietary proteins, the partial proteinhydrolysate being characterised in that it comprises at least 3 wt % ofpeptides with a size kDa or above and at least 50 wt. % of peptides witha size below 5 kDa, preferably in an enteral composition of the presentinvention.

The present invention relates to an enteral composition, comprisingnon-digestible oligosaccharides and at least one partial proteinhydrolysate, preferably according to the present invention, wherein thepartial protein hydrolysate is a partial whey protein hydrolysate andwherein the non-digestible oligosaccharide is a mixture ofgalacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides and galacturonic acidoligosaccharides. Preferably, the partial protein hydrolysate of theenteral composition is characterised in that it comprises at least 3 wt% of peptides with a size of 5 kDa or above and at least 50 wt. % ofpeptides with a size below 5 kDa.

An enteral composition of the present invention is preferably anutritional composition. Preferably, the enteral composition is for oraladministration.

The enteral composition of the present invention comprises, as explainedabove, a partial protein hydrolysate and a non-digestibleoligosaccharide.

In a preferred embodiment, the enteral composition of the presentinvention comprises a) at least 5 wt. % partial whey protein hydrolysateor at least 5 wt.-% of the at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide, eachbased on dry weight of the composition, and b) at least 1 wt % of thesum of galacto-oligosaccharides, fructo-oligosaccharides andgalacturonic acid oligosaccharides, based on dry weight of thecomposition, wherein, preferably, the weight ratio ofgalacto-oligosaccharides:fructo-oligosaccharides:galacturonic acidoligosaccharides is (20-4):(0.5-2):1.

In addition, the enteral composition of the present invention mayfurther comprise a lipid (also termed lipid component), in particularfat.

The present enteral composition preferably comprises as lipids vegetablelipids and/or marine oils, such as algae oils, bacterial oils, animaloils, vegetable oils or fish oils.

The present enteral composition may in a further preferred embodimentalso comprises in addition to the non-digestible oligosaccharide afurther carbohydrate component, such as digestible carbohydrates,preferably lactose.

In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention the enteralcomposition comprises in addition to the partial protein hydrolysate afurther protein component such as non-hydrolysed protein or, preferably,an extensive protein hydrolysate.

Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention the enteralcomposition of the present invention comprises a protein component,including the partial protein hydrolysate, a carbohydrate component,including the non-digestible oligosaccharide, a lipid component andoptionally a liquid solvent such as water.

The present composition preferably contains at least 50 wt. % proteincomponent derived from non-human milk, more preferably at least 90 wt.%, each based on dry weight of total protein. Preferably, the presentcomposition contains at least 50 wt. % cow's milk derived protein, morepreferably at least 90 wt. %, each based on dry weight of total protein.Preferably, the present composition comprises protein derived from acidwhey and/or sweet whey with a reduced concentration ofglycomacropeptide. Typically, glycomacropeptide (GMP) with a molecularweight of 8000 daltons is a casein-derived whey protein containing aminoacid residues 106-169 of kappa-casein, and is released from kappa-caseinby the proteolytic action of rennin (chymosin). Preferably, the presententeral composition comprises protein derived from β-casein,beta-lactoglobulin and/or α-lactalbumin. In another embodiment of thepresent invention, the protein is pea, soy and/or rice protein.

Preferably, the present enteral composition comprises partial wheyprotein hydrolysate and partial casein hydrolysate. Partial caseinhydrolysate and partial whey protein hydrolysate are preferably presentin a weight ratio casein:whey of 10:90 to 90:10, more preferably 20:80to 80:20.

The present enteral composition preferably includes both caseinhydrolysate and whey protein hydrolysate because the amino acidcomposition of bovine casein is more similar to the amino acidcomposition found in human milk protein and whey protein is easier todigest and found in greater ratios in human milk.

The present enteral composition preferably contains 5 to 25%, preferably7 to 25%, preferably 5 to 20%, preferably 5 to 16%, preferably 5 to 12%protein based on total calories, most preferably 7.0 to 12.0% proteinbased on total calories of the composition. The total caloric value canbe calculated based on the amount of digestible carbohydrates, fat andprotein.

Based on 100 ml the present enteral composition preferably comprises 0.5to 2.5 wt. % protein, more preferably 0.05 to 1.5 wt. %, even morepreferably 1 to 3 wt. %, based on 100 ml of the present composition.

The term protein as used in the present invention refers to the sum ofproteins, peptides and free amino acids.

The present enteral composition preferably contains 0.5 to 6.0 g, morepreferably 1.0 to 3.0 g, even more preferably 1.0 to 2.5 g of proteinper 100 ml of the ready to feed composition.

The present enteral composition preferably comprises at least 7.0 wt. %,more preferably at least 8.0 wt. %, most preferably at least 9 or atleast 10 wt % protein based on dry weight of the total composition.

Preferably, the present enteral composition comprises at most 40 wt. %,more preferable at most 15 wt %, preferably at most 20 wt. % of proteinbased on dry weight of the total composition.

The wt. % protein based on dry weight of the present enteral compositionis calculated according to the Kjeldahl-method by measuring totalnitrogen and using a conversion factor of 6.38, preferably in case ofcasein, or a conversion factor of 6.25 for other proteins than casein.

The present enteral composition preferably contains at least 50 wt. %,preferably at least 80 wt. %, particularly at least 90 wt %, mostpreferably 100 wt. % of the partial protein hydrolysate of the presentinvention, based on dry weight of the total protein in the presententeral composition.

The present enteral composition preferably contains less than 10 g freeamino acids per 100 g protein, more preferably less than 7 g. Arelatively low amino acid content results in a low osmolarity and thusprevents disturbances of the gastrointestinal tract/digestive systemsuch as diarrhea. A low content of free amino acids is of furtherimportance for reducing the bitter taste; free amino acids give theformula a bitter taste. Furthermore, free amino acids are absorbed worsein the intestinal tract compared to peptides. Therefore, the amount offree amino acids in the present enteral composition is preferablylimited.

The present enteral composition preferably also comprises a lipidcomponent, preferably a fat, and a protein component and preferably adigestible carbohydrate component, wherein the lipid componentpreferably provides 30 to 60% of total calories, the protein componentpreferably provides 5 to 20%, more preferably 5 to 15%, of the totalcalories and the digestible carbohydrate component preferably provides25 to 75% of the total calories. Preferably, the present compositioncomprises a lipid component providing 35 to 50% of the total calories, aprotein component provides 6 to 12% of the total calories and adigestible carbohydrate component provides 40 to 60% of the totalcalories. The amount of total calories is determined by the sum ofcalories derived from protein, lipids and digestible carbohydrates.

The present composition is not human breast milk. Preferably, thepresent enteral composition is free of living or dead probiotics, inparticular bifidobacteriae or lactobacillae. Preferably, the presententeral composition is free of growth factors and/or cytokines.Preferably, the present enteral composition is free of TGF, particularlyTGF-beta.

The compositions of the invention preferably comprise other components,such as vitamins and/or minerals, preferably according to internationaldirectives for infant formulae.

In one embodiment the present enteral composition is in dry form, forinstance is a powder suitable for making a liquid composition afterreconstitution with an aqueous solution, preferably with water.Preferably, the enteral composition is a powder, preferably to bereconstituted with water.

In order to meet the caloric requirements of the infant, the presententeral composition preferably comprises 50 to 200 kcal/100 ml liquid,more preferably 60 to 90 kcal/100 ml liquid, even more preferably 60 to75 kcal/100 ml liquid. This caloric density ensures an optimal ratiobetween water and calorie consumption. The osmolarity of the presentcomposition is preferably between 150 and 420 mOs-mol/l, more preferably260 to 320 mOsmol/l. The low osmolarity aims to reduce thegastrointestinal stress. Stress can induce adipocyte formation.

Preferably, the present enteral composition is in a liquid form,preferably with a viscosity below 35 mPa·s, more preferably below 6mPa·s as measured in a Brookfield viscometer at 20° C. at a shear rateof 100 s⁻¹. Suitably, the present enteral composition is in a powderedfrom, which preferably can be reconstituted with water to form a liquid,or in a liquid concentrate form, which should be diluted with water.When the present enteral composition is in a liquid form, the preferredvolume administered on a daily basis is in the range of about 80 to 2500ml, more preferably about 450 to 1000 ml per day.

Use

The present enteral composition of the present invention is preferablyfor use in infants, i.e. is an infant nutritional composition. Hence thepresent enteral composition is preferably administered to the humansubject during the first 3 years of life. Preferably, the presentcomposition is an infant formula or a follow-on-formula, or a toddlermilk, that means for humans elder than infants.

In one embodiment of the use according to the present invention, theenteral, preferably nutritional, composition is for feeding or is usedfor feeding a human subject with an age from 0 to 36 months. The presententeral composition is advantageously administered to a human of 0 to 24months, more preferably to a human of 0 to 18 months, most preferably toa human of 0 to 12 months.

Preferably, the present enteral composition is for use in the preventionof food allergy.

Preferably, the present enteral, preferably nutritional, composition isfor providing the daily nutritional requirements to a human, inparticular for administration to, in particular for feeding, humans, inparticular infants including toddlers, preferably at risk for developingan allergy, in particular for developing allergic symptoms.

In the present invention, the term tolerance is to be understood as astate of specific immunological unresponsiveness. Both humoral(antibodies) and cell mediated (lymphocyte) pathways of the immuneresponse may be suppressed by tolerance induction. A breakdown of oraltolerance is considered to be the underlying cause of food allergy. Oralimmune tolerance means the specific suppression of cellular and/orhumoral immune reactivity to an antigen by prior administration of theantigen by the oral route. It probably evolved to preventhypersensitivity reactions to food proteins. It is of immenseimmunological importance, since it is a continuous natural immunologicevent driven by exogenous antigen. Due to their privileged access to theinternal milieu, antigens that continuously contact the mucosa representa frontier between foreign and self components. Oral immune toleranceevolved to treat external agents that gain access to the body via anatural route as internal components without danger signals, which thenbecome part of self. Failure of oral immune tolerance is attributed tothe development and pathogenesis of several immunologically baseddiseases, including food allergy and inflammatory bowel disease,particularly Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

In the present invention the tolerance is induced or acquired, whereintolerance to external antigens can be created by manipulating the immunesystem. Acquired or induced tolerance refers to the immune system'sadaptation to external antigens characterized by a specificnon-reactivity of the lymphoid tissues to a given antigen that in othercircumstances would likely induce cell-mediated or humoral immunity.

The present enteral composition is preferably for use in the inductionof oral tolerance, preferably for use in the induction of immunetolerance, most preferably for use in the induction of oral immunetolerance, preferably in humans, in particular infants.

Thus, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention the presententeral compositions for use in inducing oral tolerance are particularlyuseful for preventing, preferably primarily preventing, food allergy,preferably cow milk allergy and/or the development of atopic diseases,such as atopic eczema, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis or asthma.

The present enteral composition is preferably for use in the inductionof tolerance, preferably in the oral tolerance in humans, in particularinfants at risk of developing an allergy, in particular a food allergy,in particular symptoms of a food allergy.

In a furthermore preferred embodiment the present enteral composition isa hypoallergenic enteral composition.

In a furthermore preferred embodiment of the present invention thepresent enteral composition is preferably for use in the prevention ortreatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

All compositions and substances identified herein to be suitable anddesigned for a use according to the present invention are to beunderstood also to be suitable and designed for being applied in methodsof treatment or methods for feeding a subject, in particular a humansubject, in need thereof.

Further preferred embodiments are the subject matter of the subclaims.

The invention will be further described by way of the non-limitingexamples.

Example 1

Non-digestible oligosaccharides synergistically potentiates the capacityof partially hydrolysed protein to induce oral tolerance to protein in amouse model of protein allergy.

Whey was obtained from DMV International, Veghel, the Netherlands. Apartial whey hydrolysate (pWH) was manufactured at Danone ResearchCentre for Specialised Nutrition by enzymatic hydrolysis under thefollowing specified conditions.

19.5 kg of demineralised water (in the following “demi water”) of 12° C.was put into a bin and mixed with 4.1 kg demineralised whey (Deminal,Friesland Foods Domo) and 1.41 kg of lactalis Nutriwhey800 (DMV Campina)for 30 minutes.

The solution was given a heat treatment of 2 minutes at 78° C. Theproduct was cooled to 60° C. after the heat treatment.

15.6 g Ca(OH)₂, 1.84 g Mg(OH)₂, 16.1 g KOH and 15.25 g NaOH wasdissolved in 235 ml demi water to obtain a base solution. The hydrolysistank was filled with 12 kg of the heat treated whey solution andstirred. The temperature was kept at 58° C. The base solution was usedto adjust the pH of the hydrolysis tank to pH of 7.75.

16.8 g Alcalase and 3.8 g Flavourzyme was mixed and added to thefermentor quickly. The base solution was used to regulate the pH at7.75. The hydrolysis took place for 180 minutes.

The enzymatic process was stopped by fast cooling and the solution wasfreezed. The pWH was further characterized by analysis of the peptide bymeans of size exclusion high pressure liquid chromatography.

The size distribution was as follows: 85 wt. %<1 kD, 8 wt. % 1 to <2kDa, 4 wt. % 2 to <5 kDa, 1 wt. % 5 to <10 kDa, 0.6 wt. % 10 to 20 kDaand 1.4 wt. %>20 kDa.

Three- to 4-week-old pathogen free female C3H/HeOuJ mice were purchasedfrom Charles River Laboratories (Maastricht, the Netherlands),maintained on cow's milk protein free standard mouse chow (AIN-93G soy,Special Diets Services, Witham, Essex, UK).

Mice were fed a control diet (table 1, below) and sensitized orally,using a blunt needle, on day 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 with 20 mg whey proteinper animal homogenized in PBS (0.5 ml, Cambrex Bio Science, Verviers,Belgium) mixed with 10 μg cholera toxin (Quadratech Diagnostics, Epsom,UK) as an adjuvant. Non-sensitized mice received cholera toxin only.Prior to whey protein sensitization mice where pre-treated orally(daily; day −7 until day −2) with PBS as a control or 50 mg pWH. Toinvestigate the effect of a diet comprising non-digestibleoligosaccharides diet on oral tolerance induction by pWH mice were fed adiet (AING-93G soy containing 2 wt. % of the sum oftrans-galacto-oligosaccharides (source Vivinal-GOS), long chainfructo-oligosaccharides (FOS, source RaftilinHP) and galacturonic acidoligosaccharides (AOS, pectin lysate) (table 1, below).

TABLE 1 Diet of mice g/10 kg chow diet # diet # P1 (control) P2 (GFA)Carbohydrates cornstarch 4769.820 4719.708 dextrinized cornstarch1549.488 1549.488 sucrose 1163.892 1163.892 fiber source (cellulose)600.000 480.000 lactose 36.108 glucose 34.512 GOS/FOS 216.000 AOS 24.000Protein soy bean protein 2400.000 2400.000 L-cysteine 36.000 36.000 Fatsoybean oil 840.000 840.000 Others Mineral mix 420.000 420.000 Vitaminmix 120.000 120.000 Choline bitartrate 30.000 30.000 TBHQ 0.168 0.168Raw materials Total carbohydrates 8154 8153 Total protein 2436 2436Total Fat 840 840 Total Others 570 570 Total diet 12000 11999

Trans-galacto-oligosaccharides, long chain fructo-oligosaccharidesRaftilinHP and galacturonic acid oligosaccharides were present in a9:1:1 wt. ratio in the diet (AIN-93G soy, Special Diets Services,Witham, Essex, UK) from day −7 till day −2 in combinations with orwithout a pWH pretreatment prior to whey-protein sensitization.

One week after the last sensitization the acute allergic skin response(ear swelling at 1 hour) after intradermal whey protein challenge wasmeasured. An acute allergen specific ear swelling in whey sensitizedmice was determined at 1 hour after intradermal challenge with 10 μgwhey protein in the ear pinnae. As a negative control non-sensitizedmice were challenged in the ear with whey protein. Ear thickness wasmeasured in duplicate using a digital micrometer (Mitutoyo, Veenendaal,the Netherlands). The allergen-specific net ear swelling was calculatedby correcting the allergen-induced increase in ear thickness with thenon-specific ear swelling due to local injection in the non-sensitizedmice. The ear swelling is expressed as delta μm.

Results:

The results are shown in table 2. Intradermal ear challenge with wheyinduced a significant ear swelling at 1 hour in whey sensitized animalscompared to non-sensitized mice (120.9±12.4 μm vs 25.42±6.8 μm; p<0.01).Pretreatment with the pWH with limited sensitizing capacitiessignificantly reduced the acute ear swelling response (83.58±5.6 μm).Feeding the mice for 5 days with the non-digestible oligosaccharide(NDO) mixture before sensitization did not significantly affect theacute allergic skin response to whey protein compared to control diet(112.1±8.8 μm). Interestingly, the acute skin response completelyabolished in the pWH pre-treated mice fed the diet comprising alsonon-digestible oligosaccharides (22.08±6.3 μm). This effect wassynergistic, being much higher than expected based on the added effectsbased on pWH or NDO alone.

TABLE 2 Effect of oral pretreatment with partially hydrolysed wheyprotein (pWH), non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDO), or both onallergic reaction to whey protein measured as immediate type hyper-responsiveness (ITH) ear swelling. ΔITH Relative Relative Mice treatmentgroup μm ± S.E. ITH tolerance Non sensitized control 25.42 ± 6.8   0%100% No pretreatment 120.9 ± 12.4  100%  0% eWH pretreatment 134.6 ±12.6  >100%    0% whey protein pretreatment 54.33* ± 6.1    30%  70% pWHpretreatment (basic value) 83.58* ± 5.6    61%  39% NDO pretreatment112.1 ± 8.8   91%  9% pWH + NDO pretreatment 22.08* ± 6.3    0% 100% *P< 0.05 compared to non-pretreated group.

Example 2

Infant milk formula with partially hydrolyzed whey, GOS (galactooligosaccharide), FOS (fructo oligosaccharide), AOS (acidoligosaccharide, i.e. galacturonic acid oligosaccharide) comprising per100 ml ready to drink:

-   66 kcal-   1.5 g protein equivalent (partially hydrolysed whey protein as in    example 1, Kjeldahl factor 6.25 used)-   7.2 g digestible carbohydrates (mainly lactose)-   3.4 g fat (vegetable fats, fish oil)-   0.8 g non-digestible oligosaccharides    -   0.612 g Galacto-oligosaccharides    -   0.068 g Long chain fructo-oligosaccharides    -   0.12 g Pectin lysate (AOS)

Minerals, trace elements vitamins and other micronutrients according tointernational guidelines for infant formulas are contained as well.

Example 3

The experiment of example 1 was repeated, except that an extra group wasincluded wherein in the group pretreated with eWH also received a dietwith the NDO during the pretreatment. The results are shown in table 3below and confirm the experiment shown in example 1 again showing thehighest tolerance induction with a pretreatment with pWH and NDO. Theseexperiments further show that the oral tolerance inducing effect cannotbe obtained using a pretreatment with eWH+NDO.

TABLE 3 Effect of oral pretreatment with partially hydrolysed wheyprotein (pWH), non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDO), or both orextensively hydrolysed whey protein (eWH) or intact whey proteinpretreatment on allergic reaction to whey protein measured as immediatetype hyperresponsiveness (ITH) ear swelling ΔITH Relative Relative Micetreatment group μm ± S.E. ITH tolerance Non sensitized control 36.7 ±5.7   0% 100%  No pretreatment 121.1 ± 18.9  100%   0% eWH pretreatment88.79 ± 6.8  62% 38% whey protein pretreatment 39.25* ± 5.3    3% 97%pWH pretreatment (basic value) 67.15* ± 10.7  36% 64% NDO pretreatment109.1 ± 13.1  86% 14% pWH + NDO pretreatment 32.58* ± 8.1    0% 100% eWH + NDO pretreatment 114.5 ± 14.4  92%  8% *P < 0.05 compared tonon-pretreated group. **P < 0.01 compared to non-pretreated group.

Example 4

Non-digestible oligosaccharides synergistically potentiate the capacityof specific whey protein peptides to induce oral tolerance to protein ina mouse model of protein allergy.

Peptides were synthesized and prescreened with an assay with T celllines. Twenty-five 18-amino-acid-long synthetic peptides with 12amino-acid overlap spanning the B variant of β-LG and six syntheticpeptides of the A variant of β-LG were obtained from JPT PeptideTechnologies (Berlin, Germany).

Epstein Barr Virus (EBV)-transformed B cells were cultured in RPMI1640—GlutaMAX™-I supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated FBS and 2%Pen/Strep. Cow's milk-specific T cell lines (TCL) were generated asdescribed previously by Schade et al 2000, J. Allerg. Clin. Immunol.106: 1155-62. The TCLs were cultured in Yssel's medium containing 2% HS,2% Pen/Strep, 1% Glut, 50 IU/ml IL-2 and 50 IU/ml IL-4 and werere-stimulated every two weeks with cow's milk to maintain them inculture. For the re-stimulation, autologous EBV-transformed B cells werepre-incubated overnight with 50 μg/ml cow's milk protein mixture.Subsequently, the B cells were irradiated and added to the TCLs.

Peptide-specific T cell proliferation was tested as described before byRuiter et al, 2006, Clin Exp Allergy 36:303-10. In short, irradiatedEBV-transformed B cells (4×10⁴/well) were pre-incubated overnight intriplicate in 96-well U-plates with 50 μg/ml major allergen or 10 μg/mlsynthetic peptide (either a mixture of 2 or 3 peptides, or singlepeptides). Whey protein (prolacta) was obtained from Lactalis, Laval,France). Caseinate was purchased from FrieslandCampina Domo (Amersfoort,The Netherlands). For the cow's milk protein mixture, prolacta andcacaseinate were mixed in a 1:1 ratio. Also iα-lactalbumin (α-LAC) andβ-lactoglobulin (β-LG) were tested as controls. Subsequently, 4×10⁴ Tcells were added to the wells and cultured for 24 hours. The next day,tritiated thymidine (1 μCi/well) was added. After 18 hours, the cellswere harvested on glass fibre filters and the [³H]-TdR incorporation wasmeasured using a Microbeta2 plate counter (Perkin Elmer, Waltham, Mass.,USA). The incorporation was expressed as counts per minute (cμm) andbackground proliferation of EBV B cells was subtracted. All tests wereperformed in Yssel's medium with 2% Pen/Strep and 1% Glut andincubations were done at 37° C. in a humidified 5% CO₂ atmosphere. EachTCL was tested at least three times.

The peptides having the highest T cell reactivity were selected forfurther testing in an animal model. These nine peptides were derivedfrom beta-lactoglobulin.

Three- to four-week-old pathogen free female C3H/HeOuJ mice (CharlesRiver Laboratories, Maastricht, The Netherlands) were used for thisexperiment. The mice were maintained on cow's milk protein free standardmouse chow (AIN-93G soy, Special Diets Services, Wijk bij Duurstede, theNetherlands).

The AIN-93G control diet was mixed with non-digestible oligosaccharides(2% w/w). The same non-digestible oligosaccharides were used as inexample 1.

18-amino-acid-long synthetic peptides of beta-lactoglobulin wereobtained from JPT Peptide Technologies (Berlin, Germany) (Table 4). Wheyprotein was purchased from DMV International (Veghel, The Netherlands).Cholera toxin (CT) was obtained from Quadratech Diagnostics (Epsom,United Kingdom). Phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was obtained fromCambrex Bio Science (Verviers, Belgium).

TABLE 4  Sequence information of the peptides Amino acids (AA) PeptideSequence beta-lactoglobulin 1 Gln Lys Val Ala Gly Thr Trp Tyr Ser LeuAA 13-30   Ala Met Ala Ala Ser Asp Ile Ser (SEQ ID NO 1) 2Trp Tyr Ser Leu Ala Met Ala Ala Ser Asp AA 19-36  Ile Ser Leu Leu Asp Ala Gln Ser (SEQ ID NO 2) 3Ala Ala Ser Asp Ile Ser Leu Leu Asp Ala AA 25-42  Gln Ser Ala Pro Leu Arg Val Tyr (SEQ ID NO 3) 4Leu Leu Asp Ala Gln Ser Ala Pro Leu Arg AA 31-48  Val Tyr Val Glu Glu Leu Lys Pro (SEQ ID NO 4) 5Lys Val Leu Val Leu Asp Thr Asp Tyr Lys AA 91-108 Lys Tyr Leu Leu Phe Cys Met Glu (SEQ ID NO 5) 6Thr Asp Tyr Lys Lys Tyr Leu Leu Phe Cys AA 97-114 Met Glu Asn Ser Ala Glu Pro Glu (SEQ ID NO 6) 7Leu Leu Phe Cys Met Glu Asn Ser Ala Glu AA 103-120Pro Glu Gln Ser Leu Ala Cys Gln (SEQ ID NO 7) 8Ala Leu Lys Ala Leu Pro Met His Ile Arg AA 139-156Leu Ser Phe Asn Pro Thr Gln Leu (SEQ ID NO 8) 9Met His Ile Arg Leu Ser Phe Asn Pro Thr AA 145-162Gln Leu Glu Glu Gln Cys His Ile (SEQ ID NO 9)

Shortly prior to the experiment, the peptides were suspended in PBS. Thepeptides were combined in three mixtures, namely peptides 1-4 in mixture1, peptides 5-7 in mixture 2 and peptides 8 and 9 in mixture 3. Thefinal concentration of each peptide in the mixture was 8 mg/ml. The mice(n=6 per group) were treated orally using a blunt needle with 0.5 ml ofthe peptide mixtures or PBS in the week prior to the sensitization (fromday −7 until day −2). During this week (day −7 until day 0) the micereceived either the standard AIN-93G (control) diet or the prebioticdiet. After this week all mice received the control diet. On day 0, 7,14, 21 and 28, the mice were orally sensitized with 20 mg whey and 10 μgCT in 0.5 ml PBS. The non-sensitized mice were treated with 10 μg CT in0.5 ml PBS. Five days after the last sensitization, the mice received anintradermal challenge in the ear pinnae with 10 μg whey in 20 μl PBS.Before and 1 h after the challenge, the ear thickness was measured usinga digital micrometer (Mitutoyo, Veenendaal, the Netherlands). Thedifference in the ear thickness (ear swelling) is an indication for theacute allergic response and is expressed as delta μm.

Results are shown in Table 5.

TABLE 5 Effect of oral pretreatment with peptide mixtures, non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDO), or both on allergic reaction to wheyprotein measured as immediate type hyperresponsiveness (ITH) earswelling. ΔITH Relative Relative Mice treatment group μm ± S.E. ITHtolerance Non sensitized control  44 ± 4.9  0% 100%  group CT Nopretreatment 189.4 ± 4.6  100%   0% Peptide mixture 1 124.2 ± 10.1  55%45% pretreatment Peptide mixture 2 153.8 ± 13.3  76% 24% pretreatmentPeptide mixture 3 109.7 ± 9.6  45% 55% pretreatment NDO pretreatment172.1 ± 11.5  88% 22% NDO + peptide mixture   73 ± 6.3* 20% 80% 1pretreatment NDO + peptide mixture 159.2 ± 11.3  79% 21% 2 pretreatmentNDO + peptide mixture 97.4 ± 15.3 37% 63% 3 pretreatment *P < 0.05compared to non-pretreated group.

As can be seen from the results in table 5 intradermal ear challengewith whey induced a significant ear swelling at 1 hour in wheysensitized animals compared to non-sensitized mice (p<0.01). Earswelling is an allergic response, and this response was slightly reducedwhen the preceding diet comprised prebiotics or peptide mixtures.

Mice pretreated with peptide mixture 1 showed a statisticallysignificant less allergic response, indicating a tolerance inducingcapacity. This induction of immune tolerance was synergisticallyenhanced when the preceding diet comprised also prebiotics, i.e. beingmuch higher than expected based on the added effects based on peptidemixture 1 or NDO alone. Peptide mixtures 2 and 3 did not show thesesynergistic effects with NDO.

What is claimed is:
 1. An enteral composition comprising non-digestibleoligosaccharides and at least one partial protein hydrolysate, whereinthe non-digestible oligosaccharides are at least one oligosaccharideselected from the group consisting of fructo-oligosaccharide,non-digestible dextrin, galacto-oligosaccharide, xylo-oligosaccharide,arabino-oligosaccharide, arabinogalacto-oligosaccharide,gluco-oligosaccharide, glucomanno-oligosaccharide,galactomanno-oligosaccharide, mannan-oligosaccharide,chito-oligosaccharide, uronic acid oligosaccharide,sialyloligosaccharide, fuco-oligosaccharide and mixtures thereof,wherein the partial protein hydrolysate is partial whey proteinhydrolysate that comprises at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptidecomprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 1,SEQ ID NO 2, SEQ ID NO 3 and SEQ ID NO
 4. 2. An enteral compositioncomprising non-digestible oligosaccharides and at least one partialprotein hydrolysate, wherein the non-digestible oligosaccharides are atleast one oligosaccharide selected from the group consisting offructo-oligosaccharide, non-digestible dextrin, galacto-oligosaccharide,xylo-oligosaccharide, arabino-oligosaccharide,arabinogalacto-oligosaccharide, gluco-oligosaccharide,glucomanno-oligosaccharide, galactomanno-oligosaccharide,mannan-oligosaccharide, chito-oligosaccharide, uronic acidoligosaccharide, sialyloligosaccharide, fuco-oligosaccharide andmixtures thereof, wherein the partial protein hydrolysate is partialwhey protein hydrolysate that comprises at least one beta-lactoglobulinpeptide comprising a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQID NO 1, SEQ ID NO 2, SEQ ID NO 3 and SEQ ID NO 4, for inducing oraltolerance against dietary proteins or the prevention of food allergy orinflammatory bowel disease.
 3. The enteral composition according toclaim 1, wherein the partial whey protein hydrolysate is natural orsynthetic.
 4. An enteral composition comprising non-digestibleoligosaccharides, wherein the non-digestible oligosaccharides are atleast one oligosaccharide selected from the group consisting offructo-oligosaccharide, non-digestible dextrin, galacto-oligosaccharide,xylo-oligosaccharide, arabino-oligosaccharide,arabinogalacto-oligosaccharide, gluco-oligosaccharide,glucomanno-oligosaccharide, galactomanno-oligosaccharide,mannan-oligosaccharide, chito-oligosaccharide, uronic acidoligosaccharide, sialyloligosaccharide, fuco-oligosaccharide andmixtures thereof, and at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide comprisinga sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO 3 and SEQ ID NO
 4. 5. An enteral composition comprisingnon-digestible oligosaccharides, wherein the non-digestibleoligosaccharides are at least one oligosaccharide selected from thegroup consisting of fructo-oligosaccharide, non-digestible dextrin,galacto-oligosaccharide, xylo-oligosaccharide, arabino-oligosaccharide,arabinogalacto-oligosaccharide, gluco-oligosaccharide,glucomanno-oligosaccharide, galactomanno-oligosaccharide,mannan-oligosaccharide, chito-oligosaccharide, uronic acidoligosaccharide, sialyloligosaccharide, fuco-oligosaccharide andmixtures thereof, and at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide comprisinga sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO 3 and SEQ ID NO 4, for inducing oral tolerance againstdietary proteins or the prevention of food allergy or inflammatory boweldisease.
 6. The enteral composition according to claim 1, wherein the atleast one beta-lactoglobulin peptide is independently substituted with 1to 10 of any amino acids at at least one of its C- and N-terminus. 7.The enteral composition according to claim 1, wherein the partial wheyprotein hydrolysate comprises at least 3 wt.% of peptides with a size of5 kDa or above and at least 50 wt. % of peptides with a size below 5kDa.
 8. The enteral composition of claim 1, wherein the sizedistribution of the peptides in the partial whey protein hydrolysate is60 to 90% <1 kDa, 5 to 20% 1 to <2 kDa, 2 to 16% 2 to <5 kDa, 0.6 to 3%5 to <10 kDa, 0.5 to 2% 10 to 20 kDa and 1 to 3% >20 kDa, (based on dryweight of peptides present in partial protein hydrolysate).
 9. Theenteral composition according to claim 1, wherein the partial wheyprotein hydrolysate comprises a ratio of the relative amount (wt%) ofpeptides with a size from 2 to <5 kDa to the relative amount (wt %) ofpeptides with a size of at least 5 kDa is (5 to 1):
 1. 10. The enteralcomposition according to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises aprotein component, a lipid component and digestible carbohydrates andwherein the protein component is present in an amount of 5 to 25% basedon total calories of the composition.
 11. The enteral compositionaccording to claim 1, wherein the composition comprises 0.05 to 20 wt.%non-digestible oligosaccharide based on dry weight of the composition.12. The enteral composition according to claim 1, comprising a) at least5 wt.% partial whey protein hydrolysate based on dry weight of thecomposition and b) at least 1 wt% of the at least one oligosaccharide.13. The enteral composition according to claim 1, which is an infantformula or follow-on-formula.
 14. A process for the preparation of theenteral composition of claim 1, wherein at least one partial wheyprotein hydrolysate and at least one non-digestible oligosaccharide aremixed and the composition is obtained, said composition having anenhanced oral tolerance inducing effect, wherein the non-digestibleoligosaccharide is at least one oligosaccharide selected from the groupconsisting of fructo-oligosaccharide, non-digestible dextrin,galacto-oligosaccharide, xylo-oligosaccharide, arabino-oligosaccharide,arabinogalacto-oligosaccharide, gluco-oligosaccharide,glucomanno-oligosaccharide, galactomanno-oligosaccharide,mannan-oligosaccharide, chito-oligosaccharide, uronic acidoligosaccharide, sialyloligosaccharide, fuco-oligosaccharide andmixtures thereof and wherein the at least one partial whey proteinhydrolysate comprises at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide comprisinga sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 1, SEQ ID NO2, SEQ ID NO 3 and SEQ ID NO
 4. 15. The enteral composition according toclaim 1, wherein the peptide has a molecular weight below 5 kDa.
 16. Theenteral composition according to claim 4, wherein the peptide has amolecular weight below 5 kDa.
 17. The enteral composition according toclaim 5, wherein the peptide has a molecular weight below 5 kDa.
 18. Theenteral composition according to claim 9, wherein said ratio of therelative amount (wt %) of peptides with a size from 2 to <5 kDa to therelative amount (wt %) of peptides with a size of at least 5 kDa is (4to 1):1.
 19. A process for the preparation of the enteral composition ofclaim 4, wherein at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide and at leastone non-digestible oligosaccharide are mixed to form said composition,wherein the non-digestible oligosaccharide is at least oneoligosaccharide selected from the group consisting offructo-oligosaccharide, non-digestible dextrin, galacto-oligosaccharide,xylo-oligosaccharide, arabino-oligosaccharide,arabinogalacto-oligosaccharide, gluco-oligosaccharide,glucomanno-oligosaccharide, galactomanno-oligosaccharide,mannan-oligosaccharide, chito-oligosaccharide, uronic acidoligosaccharide, sialyloligosaccharide, fuco-oligosaccharide andmixtures thereof and wherein the at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptidecomprises a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 1,SEQ ID NO 2, SEQ ID NO 3 and SEQ ID NO
 4. 20. The process according toclaim 19, wherein the at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide isindependently substituted with 1 to 10 of any amino acids at at leastone of its C- and N-terminus.
 21. The process according to claim 19,wherein the composition comprises a protein component, a lipid componentand digestible carbohydrates and wherein the protein component ispresent in an amount of 5 to 25% based on total calories of thecomposition.
 22. The process according to claim 19, wherein thecomposition comprises 0.05 to 20 wt. % non-digestible oligosaccharidebased on dry weight of the composition.
 23. The process according toclaim 19, wherein the enteral composition comprises: a) at least 5 wt. %of the at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide, based on the dry weightof the composition; and b) at least 1 wt. % of the at least oneoligosaccharide.
 24. The process according to claim 19, wherein theenteral composition is an infant formula or follow-on-formula.
 25. Aprocess for the preparation of the enteral composition of claim 5,wherein at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide and at least onenon-digestible oligosaccharide are mixed and a composition for inducingoral tolerance against dietary proteins or the prevention of foodallergy or inflammatory bowel disease is formed, wherein thenon-digestible oligosaccharide is at least one oligosaccharide selectedfrom the group consisting of fructo-oligosaccharide, non-digestibledextrin, galacto-oligosaccharide, xylo-oligosaccharide,arabino-oligosaccharide, arabinogalacto-oligosaccharide,gluco-oligosaccharide, glucomanno-oligosaccharide,galactomanno-oligosaccharide, mannan-oligosaccharide,chito-oligosaccharide, uronic acid oligosaccharide,sialyloligosaccharide, fuco-oligosaccharide and mixtures thereof andwherein the at least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide comprises a sequenceselected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO 1, SEQ ID NO 2, SEQ IDNO 3 and SEQ ID NO
 4. 26. The process according to claim 25, wherein theat least one beta-lactoglobulin peptide is independently substitutedwith 1 to 10 of any amino acids at at least one of its C- andN-terminus.
 27. The process according to claim 25, wherein thecomposition comprises a protein component, a lipid component anddigestible carbohydrates and wherein the protein component is present inan amount of 5 to 25% based on total calories of the composition. 28.The process according to claim 25, wherein the composition comprises0.05 to 20 wt. % non-digestible oligosaccharide based on dry weight ofthe composition.
 29. The process according to claim 25, wherein theenteral composition comprises: a) at least 5 wt. % of the at least onebeta-lactoglobulin peptide, based on the dry weight of the composition;and b) at least 1 wt. % of the at least one oligosaccharide.
 30. Theprocess according to claim 25, wherein the enteral composition is aninfant formula or follow-on-formula.